Composite bowl

ABSTRACT

A composite bowl has a seamless, one-piece, stainless steel inner body with a covering or outer body formed of a flexible and resilient frictional material. The outer body has an enlarged bead around the rim of the bowl and the stainless inner body is rolled around the bead.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to a cookware receptacle and, inparticular, to mixing bowls.

Mixing bowls have been formed of a variety of different materials,including glass, ceramic, metal and the like. Such bowls are commonlyused in different positions. In one position, such as for use with anelectric mixer or the like, the bowl is disposed in an upright positionresting on a generally flat base with the central axis of the bowldisposed substantially vertically. When used with hand mixers orbeaters, whisks or the like, the bowl is typically tilted to facilitateentry of the stirring or mixing implement into the open mouth of thebowl and manipulation thereof. For this purpose, the user will typicallygrasp the edge of the bowl with one hand to tilt it while operating themixing implement with the other hand.

A typical mixing bowl has a generally semi-spherical shape with a smoothouter surface which has a tendency to slip or slide along underlyingsupport surfaces in use. Furthermore, such bowls may be difficult tograsp firmly, particularly if the user's hands are wet.

In order to alleviate these difficulties, it is known to provide bowlsformed of plastic materials with flexible anti-skid rings or bottomportions to inhibit skidding along support surfaces. Bowls have alsobeen provided with enlarged rim flanges or handles to facilitategrasping. U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,023 to Heiberg et al., discloses acomposite bowl with an inner rigid plastic shell and an outer elasticshell formed by co-molding. However, the plastic material of the bowl isnot suitable for all applications.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses an improved composite mixing bowlwhich avoids advantages of prior bowls while affording additionalstructure or operating advantages.

A feature is a provision of a bowl of the type set forth which is ofsimple and economical construction, yet is sturdy and ergonomicallydesigned.

Another feature is the provision of a bowl of the type set forth whichhas a unique metal/elastomeric composite construction.

In particular, there is provided a composite receptacle comprising: arigid imperforate inner body having an outer surface and forming anopen-top vessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall, the side wallhaving a laterally outwardly projecting flange forming an upper lipextending around the periphery of the inner body, the lip extendingdownwardly and back inwardly toward the side wall to form a channel, andan outer body of flexible and resilient material covering and fixed tothe outer surface of the inner body, the outer body having a peripheralbead filling the channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject mattersought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, whenconsidered in connection with the following description, the subjectmatter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and manyof its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a composite bowl;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bowl of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3—3 in FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG.3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a composite bowl,generally designated by the numeral 10, which includes a seamless,one-piece inner body 11, formed of a suitable metal, such as stainlesssteel. The inner body 11 is generally part-spherical in shape and has aninner surface 12 and an outer surface 13, the body 11 defining acurvilinear bottom 14 and curvilinear upstanding side wall 15. The sidewall 15 has an upper end portion or flange 16 extending around theperiphery thereof and defining the wide, open mouth at top of the bowl.The flange 16 is curved laterally outwardly and then downwardly todefine a generally tubular lip 17 which terminates at a distal edge 18spaced a slight distance from the outer surface of the side wall 15 todefine a channel 19, which is a part-circular in transverse crosssection.

Bowl 10 also includes an outer body 20 formed of a flexible andresilient frictional material, such as an elastic material of a typesold under the trade name Santoprene, which is adhered to and covers theouter surface 13 of the inner body 11. The outer body 20 has an outersurface 23 and defines a bottom portion 24, which covers the inner bodybottom 14, and a side portion 25 which covers the inner body side wall15. The side portion 25 terminates at its upper end in a peripheral bead26 which fills the channel 19 and is substantially circular intransverse cross section, so that the edge 18 of the flange 16 isdisposed of the juncture between the bead 26 and the remainder of theouter body side portion 25. The outer surface of the 23 of the outerbody 20 has a substantially flat bottom surface portion 27. Thethickness of the outer body 20 varies, having a thickened region 28around the periphery of the inner body bottom 14. The outer body 20 isfixedly secured to the inner body 11 by suitable means, as by beingbonded thereto or molded thereon. The resulting composite bowl 11defines a receptacle 29 for receiving food stuffs or the like.

The composite bowl 10 is particularly useful as a mixing bowl, thestainless steel inner body 11 providing desirable qualities of rigidity,durability, stain resistance, ease of clean-up and the like,characteristic of stainless steel utensils. The outer body 20 forms aresilient frictional surface which resists sliding or skidding of thebowl along an underlying support surface, facilitates griping by auser's hand, cushions the bowl in use, and provides a stable, non-slipengagement with an underlying support surface to facilitate tipping ofthe bowl during use. The bowl 10 can readily be formed by injectionmolding of the outer body 20 over the pre-formed inner body 11.

The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation.While a particular embodiment has been shown and described, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants'contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended tobe defined in the following claims when viewed in their properperspective based on the prior art.

1. A composite receptacle comprising: a rigid imperforate inner bodyhaving an outer surface and forming an open-top vessel having anupstanding peripheral side wall, the side wall having a laterallyoutwardly projecting flange forming an upper lip extending around theperiphery of the inner body, the lip extending downwardly and backinwardly toward the side wall to form a channel, and an outer body offlexible and resilient material completely covering and fixed to theouter surface of the inner body, the outer body having a peripheralincreased-thickness, single-layer bead filling the channel.
 2. Thereceptacle of claim 1, wherein the inner body is formed of metal.
 3. Thereceptacle of claim 1, wherein the side wall is curvilinear.
 4. Thereceptacle of claim 1, wherein the inner body has a curvilinear bottom.5. The receptacle of claim 4, wherein the outer body has an outersurface with a substantially flat bottom portion.
 6. The receptacle ofclaim 1, wherein the outer body has a variable thickness.
 7. Thereceptacle of claim 1, wherein the outer body is formed of a frictionalmaterial.
 8. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the channel ispart-circular in transverse cross section.
 9. The receptacle of claim 1,wherein the side wall is circular in horizontal cross section.
 10. Acomposite receptacle comprising: a rigid imperforate inner body havingan outer surface and forming an open-top vessel having an upstandingperipheral side wall, the side wall having an upper end portion, and anouter body of flexible and resilient material completely covering andfixed to the outer surface of the inner body, the outer body having athickened laterally outwardly projecting, single-layer bead at an upperend thereof and extending along the entire periphery thereof, the upperend portion of the inner body being wrapped around the bead and fixedthereto for substantially covering the bead.
 11. The receptacle of claim10, wherein the bead is substantially circular in transverse crosssection.
 12. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the outer body isformed of a frictional material.
 13. The receptacle of claim 10, whereinthe outer body has a variable thickness.
 14. The receptacle of claim 10,wherein the outer body has an outer surface with a substantially flatbottom portion.
 15. The receptacle of claim 14, wherein the inner bodyhas a curvilinear bottom.
 16. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein theinner body is formed of metal.
 17. The receptacle of claim 10, whereinthe upper end portion of the inner body terminates at a junction betweenthe bead and the remainder of the outer body.
 18. The receptacle ofclaim 1, wherein the inner body is of one-piece unitary construction andhas an inner surface disposed for contact with contents of thereceptacle.
 19. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the inner body is ofone-piece unitary construction and has an inner surface disposed forcontact with contents of the receptacle.
 20. A composite receptaclecomprising: a rigid imperforate inner body having an outer surface andforming an open-top vessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall,the side wall having a laterally outwardly projecting flange forming anupper lip extending around the periphery of the inner body, the lipextending downwardly and back inwardly toward the side wall to form achannel, and an outer body of flexible and resilient material fixed tothe inner body and completely covering the outer surface thereof, theouter body having a peripheral increased-thickness, non-folded beadfilling the channel.
 21. The receptacle of claim 20, wherein the innerbody is formed of metal.
 22. The receptacle of claim 20, wherein theouter body has a variable thickness.
 23. The receptacle of claim 20,wherein the outer body is formed of a frictional material.
 24. Thereceptacle of claim 1, wherein the channel is part-circular intransverse cross section.
 25. A composite receptacle comprising: a rigidimperforate inner body having an outer surface and forming an open-topvessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall, the side wall havingan upper end portion, and an outer body of flexible and resilientmaterial fixed to the inner body and completely covering the outersurface thereof, the outer body having a thickened laterally outwardlyprojecting, non-folded bead at an upper end thereof and extending alongthe entire periphery thereof, the upper end portion of the inner bodybeing wrapped up around the bead and fixed thereto for substantiallyconcealing the bead from view.
 26. The receptacle of claim 25, whereinthe bead is substantially circular in transverse cross section.
 27. Thereceptacle of claim 25, wherein the outer body is formed of a frictionalmaterial.
 28. The receptacle of claim 25, wherein the outer body has avariable thickness.
 29. The receptacle of claim 25, wherein the innerbody is formed of metal.